NSStember Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I've played a fair number of MMORPGs over the years, but what really won me over in TOR (aside from the awesome Star Wars theme) was the richly voice acted cut scenes full of decisions you could make, not only with the main story but even every side quest. When I've tried to go back to other games like LOTRO, STO, WoW, etc, I find the quest giver "pop up boxes" to be horrible now that TOR has spoiled me, and has always brought me back here right away. When I clicked on the first daily quest in Rishi and saw that same style "quest pop up box" I cringed. I'm glad it's only the daily quests, but I sincerely hope this isn't the start of a bad trend in TOR to do away with one of the elements that made this MMO "raise the bar". And while I also loved the class story arc in Rishi, I missed the "group element" in side quests that used to give nice social points when you "won" the right to have what your character said spoken. I know there are players who found the voice acted scenes tiresome, but for them there was always the remedy of the space bar. Please don't take that element away from those of us who enjoyed and appreciated the immersion that came with fully voiced cut scenes for all quests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_Hosa_Phat Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 /agree One thing I will say in "defense" is that, if you listen carefully, you'll hear that the quest-giver is still given a voice-acted script. It seems to sometimes get drowned out by some of the ambient noises - especially if you aren't right next to the NPC - and it certainly doesn't "draw you in" like the cut-scenes for pretty much every other NPC-given quest in the game. It's the removal of these actual cut-scene that's worrisome. I understand the push to produce the content and get it to market can lead to decisions to leave out such time-consuming development elements like these glorious cut-scenes, but I really hope this isn't indicative of what's to come with all future new content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSStember Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 I did also hear the quest givers in the background (I agree about them being easily drowned out by other sounds). I often group with my girlfriend and others for gaming and missed the fun of seeing who's opinion would win in a quest conversation (especially when there were light side/dark side options in the balance). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daewan Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 /agree I like reading/listening and making choices in cutscenes. I know this is a minor thing, and if this method means more class and world story quests done probably, then I can live with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_Hosa_Phat Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) I did also hear the quest givers in the background (I agree about them being easily drowned out by other sounds). I often group with my girlfriend and others for gaming and missed the fun of seeing who's opinion would win in a quest conversation (especially when there were light side/dark side options in the balance). I don't do a lot of grouping (mainly because I'm on so infrequently that I can't really be "counted on"), but the cut-scenes are something that I have really enjoyed. I definitely like the random selection of the dialogue winner when I am in a group, but I don't get to see it that often, so that element isn't even what concerns me the most. My biggest fear is that more and more of the "cool-factor" of SWTOR is going to be chiseled away like this in the name of putting out new content. /agree I like reading/listening and making choices in cutscenes. I know this is a minor thing, and if this method means more class and world story quests done probably, then I can live with it. Can I live with it? Sure, but I don't want to live with it. The fact that they've started down this road makes me a little sad because I don't want to see those things that make SWTOR such an awesome game be taken away. I mean, what if the next thing is that they take away the voiced script too (since you can barely hear it anyway) so that all new quests give you is the pop-up box with a little sound effect? Then, what comes after that? I just don't want to see them take shortcuts for the sole purpose of getting content out. Personally, I'd rather wait a little longer for the content and have it done "right" (a highly subjective term, I realize) than get over-simplified versions of the content more frequently. All that being said, I'm not trying to be a doom-sayer here. I am still thoroughly enjoying SWTOR, and I'm having tons of fun with the SoR content. I'm not leaving anytime soon. Edited December 9, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rehsilomeD Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I was very pleased with the quickness that can be attained with the new quest-giving format, though it would be upsetting if this was for more of the story-oriented content. I believe that once you have done some of the quests, even the "big hoorahs" like the Revan/Dread Master stories and your own personal class quest, that sometimes you just want to get things done in a more time-efficient manner. A character-specific setting to make all game quests in the format of the new "quick pickup" (And when unchecked, a fully animated dialogue) would be the ultimate solution for seasoned questers and storyhounds alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_Hosa_Phat Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I was very pleased with the quickness that can be attained with the new quest-giving format, though it would be upsetting if this was for more of the story-oriented content. I believe that once you have done some of the quests, even the "big hoorahs" like the Revan/Dread Master stories and your own personal class quest, that sometimes you just want to get things done in a more time-efficient manner. A character-specific setting to make all game quests in the format of the new "quick pickup" (And when unchecked, a fully animated dialogue) would be the ultimate solution for seasoned questers and storyhounds alike. I'd certainly be okay with a toggle option for it. Of course, anything that affects your DS/LS position or companion affection (or whatever else) would still have to be done as an animated cut-scene, unless they could figure out how to incorporate the choices into the pop-up box... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrdann Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 short answer no..... i liked the fact that i didn't have to listen to some alien drone on about how i should go kill 6 pigs for him. here i click on him, and i read what he/she/it wants click accept or decline and i'm on my way.. all that voice acting should have been and should be for the main story ONLY that is the main reason this game cost so much money to make in 2011 for all of the different voice actors all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDutchman Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I don't even touch the side missions on Rishi due to lack of cutscenes. I don't need them to level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverspar Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 short answer no..... i liked the fact that i didn't have to listen to some alien drone on about how i should go kill 6 pigs for him. here i click on him, and i read what he/she/it wants click accept or decline and i'm on my way.. all that voice acting should have been and should be for the main story ONLY that is the main reason this game cost so much money to make in 2011 for all of the different voice actors all over the place. I pretty much agree. useless exposition that had nothing to do with the story, is not conducive or helpful, and certainly doesn't add immersion in my gaming experience. I am glad they stopped voicing all the quest givers, the side quest and stuff that had absolutely nothing to do with the main story don't need to drone on about everything. And no, this really isn't going to be one of those that people can sit there and say just throw a toggle on it because I doubt the system would even remotely be that simple to toggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirazy Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The current state of affairs is actually a nice compromise between the convenience of Terminal-dispensed dailies, and full cutscene dailies. Speaking of, we haven't had full cutscene dailies since Ilum and Belsavis. Black Hole? 1 cutscene, only on Imperial side. The rest are terminal-dispensed. Makeb? Oricon? CZ-198? All terminals, no cutscenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaltHammerzeit Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I recently went to Oricon for the first time. The first run through I got cut scenes, but after that it's all mission terminals. I like the way the side quests are done now. They've still got the background behind why the NPC is giving you the quest, there's a bit of vocal audio, but it doesn't piss me off because it's taking so long to get though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximusRex Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I've played a fair number of MMORPGs over the years, but what really won me over in TOR (aside from the awesome Star Wars theme) was the richly voice acted cut scenes full of decisions you could make, not only with the main story but even every side quest. When I've tried to go back to other games like LOTRO, STO, WoW, etc, I find the quest giver "pop up boxes" to be horrible now that TOR has spoiled me, and has always brought me back here right away. When I clicked on the first daily quest in Rishi and saw that same style "quest pop up box" I cringed. I'm glad it's only the daily quests, but I sincerely hope this isn't the start of a bad trend in TOR to do away with one of the elements that made this MMO "raise the bar". And while I also loved the class story arc in Rishi, I missed the "group element" in side quests that used to give nice social points when you "won" the right to have what your character said spoken. I know there are players who found the voice acted scenes tiresome, but for them there was always the remedy of the space bar. Please don't take that element away from those of us who enjoyed and appreciated the immersion that came with fully voiced cut scenes for all quests. Those pop-up quests on Rishi are fully voice acted, they simply don't have cinemetic mode. Stand there and listen to them if you want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rankyn Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I had mixed feelings on this at first but now that I've begun experiencing them several times, I've decided that I actually prefer it this way. The quest-giver still voices something relevant to the mission but I'm not forced to load and then skip through cinematics that I've seen before. If I want to hear it, I can sit and listen to it. If I don't, I can accept the quest and be on my way. I think it's a nice compromise between full cinematics (which take extra time to produce) and simple terminal missions and if it speeds up the rate at which they can add little things to the game then I'm all for it. I certainly wouldn't want the main storylines replaced by this, but it works well for side-quest and dailies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajinDeath Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I really enjoy having the option for animated scenes. I think that taking them out of the game takes away from game emersion. I have hopes that in the future the companion affection will be updated & we can continue to have conversations with our companions & grow affection levels to 20,000 and beyond. Sometimes I might want to say something different to the npcs. Sometimes I like to see my character up close & see the npc up close. I think that the animated scenes for quests are one things that set this game apart from other games for the better. Sure after the 100th time I do the quest I will spacebar through the scene but I don't believe that having to click my spacebar 2 times is reason enough to get rid of a whole world of possibilities. Please keep the animated scenes for quest givers. Also on a side note I would also prefer that the speeders do not cut in & out to a black screen when traveling. Yes some of the rides are long but we also have many other options nowadays on how to get from point A to B. I like to see the scenery. When I play this game I want to go into a fantasy world & immerse myself in that world & I personally believe that cutting things out of the game like this for the sake of so called convenience which in reality is 2 clicks of a spacebar should not be done. We have ways of getting around fast & ways to pick up quests fairy quickly. Please don't eliminate the option to take my time & immerse myself into the world of SWTOR you have created & that I enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thoop Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 new way is so much better load screens to hammer space bar through are not what i want when running dailies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSStember Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 new way is so much better load screens to hammer space bar through are not what i want when running dailies Spacing through it wasn't that hard if you didn't care for the cutscenes, but the more people I talk to the more I find are missing it like I am and hoping this isn't the "new trend" for Star Wars. Most MMOs don't have them, no reason for TOR to "lower their bar" to that level after they raised it so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagikFingerz Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Spacing through it wasn't that hard if you didn't care for the cutscenes, but the more people I talk to the more I find are missing it like I am and hoping this isn't the "new trend" for Star Wars. Most MMOs don't have them, no reason for TOR to "lower their bar" to that level after they raised it so well. Cinematics for dailies were never the norm. Section X and Black Hole dailies never had cinematics, not even voice acting. I agree with the others who find the new way superior. Rishii and Yavin has complete storyline missions, so I don't see why anyone would miss cinematics on dailies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PavSalco Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 They're voiced. I see no problem there. Making cutscenes for the side quests is a waste of time and resources. Nothing interesting comes out of them. "They killed/stole/destroyed/betrayed my X. Can you do/bring/kill/find X for me? - yes - no, tell me more, then yes - refuse quest" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaltHammerzeit Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Cinematics for dailies were never the norm. Section X and Black Hole dailies never had cinematics, not even voice acting. I agree with the others who find the new way superior. Rishii and Yavin has complete storyline missions, so I don't see why anyone would miss cinematics on dailies. Not that there was a whole heap of side quests on either Rishi or Yavin. I don't think there was any on Yavin at all, apart from the dailies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrellma Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Only on classic Belsavis and Ilum did the daily quest givers have voice acted scenes. On Black Hole: All from terminal, minus the heroic which was via scene. Section X: All from Terminal Makeb: All From Terminal CZ-198: All From Terminal Oricon: All From Terminal Not having scenes for dailies is hardly new. At least on Rishi and Yavin they get a few lines to spew as you walk away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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